Nonsocially housed rats (Ratus norvegicus) seek social interactions and social novelty more than socially housed counterparts.

ABSTRACT: Sociability is the act or quality of social interaction and can be quantified by determining the number and duration of interactions with conspecifics. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which sustained social contact, as achieved by constant social living conditions, influenced social behavior. Beginning in juvenility, 19 male Long-Evans rats were housed in enriched environments, with half living socially in a large group and half living individually. After several months in these housing conditions, rats were tested on a sociality test and a social novelty preference test. Nonsocially housed rats exhibited more social behavior than socially housed rats. In the sociality test, nonsocially housed rats engaged with an unfamiliar rat more than socially housed rats. Simila

SUBMITTER: Templer VL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6738345 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature